England V Israel

[Pencil_Neck]

Comments on the game....

Utter !*!@#.......

[Dave]

Comments on the game....

Utter !*!@#.......

it wasnt that good

Its just a continuation of the world cup - England aren't very good and thats the cold truth . But the press dont care either way - they sell papers slagging off the manager and mulling over what we SHOULD have done .- its a national obsession - Should have got the manager they really wanted

[Mr Darn]

shouldnt this be in the sports section?

england is so crap, its like watching the toon... we need a big shake up...

some secondary school players i know could do better, and with more heart!

[Malcolm Robinson]

shouldnt this be in the sports section?

england is so crap, its like watching the toon... we need a big shake up...

some secondary school players i know could do better, and with more heart!

Got to agree!

[Pencil_Neck]

Got to agree!

Humble apologies

Humble apologies

From BBC:

Steve McClaren's rapid-fire soundbites failed to disguise the latest damning evidence that England may just have appointed a poor man's Sven-Goran Eriksson to direct their Euro 2008 fortunes.

Indeed, McClaren's reign is threatening to make the Swede's tenure resemble the most thrilling roller-coaster ride of goals, excitement and emotion in international football history.

McClaren is right to underscore England's missed chances and squandered superiority, but this was a dreadful display and one in keeping with what he has produced since succeeding Eriksson.

The coach talked big before the qualifier in Tel Aviv. He had laid the law down to his senior stars - it was, he stated endlessly, time to deliver.

Well, if those experienced players had been cattle-prodded into action by McClaren's harsh words, they could have fooled a watching, despairing nation.

And as for delivering... well England's furious fans inside the Ramat Gan stadium let them know what they thought they had delivered at the final whistle.

Steven Gerrard was an exception, sacrificing himself in the cause of McClaren's inability to simply play him in his best position.

Is it so difficult for an England coach to simply place arguably the world's finest central midfield player in central midfield?

Apparently it is. Mystifying.

In bursts, Aaron Lennon's pace also posed a threat.

But the rest was the same uninspired, lifeless fare that has been McClaren's stock in trade since he became a compromise appointment following the FA's failed flirtation with "Big Phil" Scolari.

Defensively England were relatively untested, in midfield they remain enigmatic, and up front Wayne Rooney was dreadful.

Rooney is a massive, talent, but in Tel Aviv England got the chippy, argumentative, ineffective version that has been witnessed too often on the international stage in recent times.

Israel massed their ranks behind the ball, confident they could keep an England side whose goals have dried up at bay.

And so it proved, with Andrew Johnson working tirelessly but still failing to open his England account.

Another of McClaren's favourite buzz-words is "passion" - so once again it says little for his inspirational qualities that this was singularly absent in Tel Aviv.

McClaren's job is not in danger. It cannot be after such a short period in charge.

But an uninspired appointment is producing uninspired performances and uninspiring results. The FA is reaping what it sowed so hastily before the World Cup.

Victory against Andorra is a must, and even an England team that has forgotten how to score should have their memory jogged in Barcelona.

Anything else is unthinkable, particularly for McClaren.

England's mythical status as a so-called world-class team was ruthlessly exposed in Germany and the hangover has continued into Euro 2008.

So far, they have been abysmal in this campaign, and Russia and Croatia have not been slow to steal a march.

And, on the evidence of Tel Aviv, time is running out for McClaren to prove he is not simply an inferior continuation of the Eriksson regime.

[Pete]

Comments on the game....

Utter !*!@#.......

England are crap, there's no comitment from the players and definitly no real management.

[Monsta®]

England are crap, there's no comitment from the players and definitly no real management.

england always play terrible in the qualifiers! and then again in the quarter and semi finals!!!!

i think i'll be supporting greece less painful if they get put out and they might win it again!!!!!

[Brian Cross]

england always play terrible in the qualifiers! and then again in the quarter and semi finals!!!!

i think i'll be supporting greece less painful if they get put out and they might win it again!!!!!

Oh fellas show some strength they might just surprise you and start winning

[barry_jones]

bring back beckham.......useless since he was dumped.

[Monsta®]

bring back beckham.......useless since he was dumped.

useless before too!!!! beckham is all washed up and he only cares about the money! but so do they all!

they should only use lower division players, some one who will give it there all. not pompous money hungry fools like tetty head rooney and that !*!@# him who plays for chelsea.

[barry_jones]

useless before too!!!! beckham is all washed up and he only cares about the money! but so do they all!

they should only use lower division players, some one who will give it there all. not pompous money hungry fools like tetty head rooney and that !*!@# him who plays for chelsea.

i agree about the money grabbing !*!@# .....but becks always gave 110%.......he did lift the whole team when he played.

[Pete]

Oh fellas show some strength they might just surprise you and start winning

i agree about the money grabbing !*!@# .....but becks always gave 110%.......he did lift the whole team when he played.

I agree with you about Beckham but it doent matter who is in the team there is no clear management, at the end of the day he was the last choice for the job.

england always play terrible in the qualifiers! and then again in the quarter and semi finals!!!!

i think i'll be supporting greece less painful if they get put out and they might win it again!!!!!

Ireland could be a good option.

[Monsta®]

Ireland could be a good option.

didn't know leprechauns could play football! no i think i'll back Croatia...

don't even think england will get to euro 2008, probably better if they don't! can't go through another england Portugal match!